1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to wearing apparel and more particularly, to a bra specifically adapted for a female with only one breast.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Statistics of the American Cancer Society reveal that an alarming number of mastectomy operations are performed in this country every year. Presently, there are several different types of mastectomy operations. In general, one of the female's breasts and possibly substantial adjacent tissue is removed in order to insure the complete removal of all malignant cells from the female. Accordingly, the woman is left with a single breast remaining after the mastectomy operation. Although various types of plastic surgery is now available to mastectomy patients, the overwhelming majority of mastectomy patients adopt the use of a prosthesis which is worn in place of the removed breast.
A substantial amount of psychological and emotional discomfort is encountered by a woman subsequent to a mastectomy operation. This emotional discomfort is most severe when the female engages in sexual activity. In general, the female wears a conventional brassiere with the prosthesis in place of the removed breast. At the time of sexual encounter, the female has several alternatives, each of which is unsatisfactory for both the female and her partner. The first alternative is to leave the bra on during the sexual activity. This alternative is unsatisfactory for obvious reasons. The second alternative is to partially remove the bra to expose only the remaining breast. This is unsatisfactory since the female and her partner are encumbered by the presence of the brassiere. The third alternative is to remove the bra and the prosthesis, thereby exposing an unsightly scar and a flat chest. In all of the alternatives, the psychological and emotional discomfort is exaggerated and, in general, destroys the mood and attitude of both parties.
Therefore it is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus which overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art devices and provides an improvement which is a significant contribution to the advancement of the wearing apparel art.
Another object of this invention is to provide a bra specifically adapted for a female having a single breast comprising a left and a right bra element each being an independent and separate article wherein one of the bra elements can be completely removed to expose the breast of the female while simultaneously enabling the other of the bra elements to remain in place over the prosthesis of the female.
Another object of this invention is to provide a bra specifically adapted for a female having a single breast comprising left and right independent bra elements, each of which may be independently removed and wherein each of the left and right bra elements may be fashioned in the latest fashion and style of conventional bras.
Another object of this invention is to provide a bra specifically adapted for a female having a single breast wherein each of the left and right bra elements is an independent and separate article for forming a composite bra which looks and appears as a conventional two-cup bra.
Another object of this invention is to provide a bra specifically adapted for a female having a single breast which will aid in the emotional and psychological well-being of both the female and her partner during sexual activity.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.